Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing system, a cloud server, a device control method, and a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a device control program. More particularly, the present invention relates to an information processing system which allows a cloud server disposed outside a firewall to control a device disposed inside the firewall, a cloud server included in the information processing system, a device control method which is executed in the information processing system, and a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a device control program which is executed by the cloud server.
Description of the Related Art
A multi-function peripheral (hereinafter, referred to as “MFP”) which is connected to a local area network (LAN) may be controlled by using a service provided from a cloud server which is connected to the Internet. For example, an MFP may be caused to print data stored in a cloud server. However, it is often the case that an MFP is connected to a LAN and the LAN is connected to the Internet via a firewall. Therefore, an access from the cloud server to the MFP may be blocked by the firewall.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-191659 discloses an information system which includes a tunnel management apparatus capable of managing tunnel communication information which is information relating to tunnel communications between a first information processing device and a second information processing device wherein, when the tunnel management apparatus transmits to the first information processing device, on the basis of the tunnel communication information, maintenance information which is information relating to maintenance of tunnel communications, the first information processing device controls, on the basis of the maintenance information accepted from the tunnel management apparatus, tunnel communications with the second information processing device.
However, in a conventional information processing system, since the tunnel management apparatus controls tunnel communications between the first information processing device and the second information processing device, there is a problem that the tunnel management apparatus can not manage tunnel communications in the case where the tunnel management apparatus stops functioning due to maintenance and the like.